Island



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. B. COTTRELL.

PRINTING PRESS.

No. 293,313. Patented Feb; 12, 18 84.

I atneases N3 PLTER5. Plwm-Lnhe mmm, Wnshinglun D. c.

.To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CALVERT B. COTTRELL, OF \NESTIJRLY, RHODE ISLAND.

PRINTING-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 293,313, dated February 12, 1884:.

Application filed May 4, 1883.

Be it known that I, CALVERT B. CorrRELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Stonington, in the county'of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Frinting-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is applicable more particu larly to presses for color-printing, and relates to presses which make two or more impressions upon each sheet before it is delivered.

The object of the invention is to secure a very perfect register of the several impressions, and to provide a press which is very compact and occupies but little space, and

one which is comparatively simple in construction.

The invention consists in the combination, with a number of separate pairs of form and impression cylinders arranged in a circular series, of a rotary series of grippers for pre senting the sheets successively to the several pairs of cylinders in the series.

The invention also consists in the combination, with two or more pairs of form and im' pression cylinders arranged in a circular series, of a rotary annular gripper carriage and attached grippers, for presenting sheets successively to the pairs of cylinders.

The invention also consists in certain novel details of construction in the rotary grippercarriage, and in novel combinations of parts in the mechanism employed to operate the several pairs of cylinders and the gripper-carriage,which features are hereinafter described and referred to in the claims hereof.

a The invention also consists in anovel combination whereby the impression-cylinders may be held against their form-cylinders continuously,vso that the sheets will receive an impression from each form-cylinder when it is desired to operate the press with single rolling or inking of the form cylinder, and whereby, when desired, the impression-cylinders may be moved away from their form-cylinders during their alternate revolutions, so that impressions will be given only during alternate revolutions of the cylinder, and the press will operate with double rolling or inking of the form-cylinders.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is (No model.)

to hold the impression-cylinders against their form-cylinders, as hereinafter described.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates the side frames of the press, and A the bed-plate,whereon the side frames are secured;

B designates the center shaft of the press, which is supported in bearings a in the side frames, A. The shaft B forms the center, about which are arranged the several pairs of form and impression cylinders.

In this example of my invention four pairs of form and impression cylinders, CD, are represented. pression-cylinder D form apair separate from and independent of the others, and each formcylinder has a separate inking apparatus, E, which may be of any well-known. or suitable character. The inking apparatus for all the form-cy1inders will be exactly alike, and I- have therefore thought it sufficient to represent in outline the apparatus for two cylinders only. The several pairs of form and impression cylinders are arranged in a circular series about the shaft B. The several form-cylinders G are mounted in bearings or boxes I), and the several impressioucylinders D are mounted in bearings 0, all of which are secured in the side frames A. The cylinders of each pair will be rotated in the same way, and

I have, therefore, in Fig. 1,shown the gearing for operating the lower right-hand and upper left-hand pairs of cylinders only.

Each form-cylinder O and its im- G designates the feed-board, from which the sheets are fed; and H designates the deliveryopen the gripper-fingers to release the sheet,

board, here shown as arranged above the feedboard.

In connection with the pairs of form and impression cylinders arranged in a circular series, I may employ a rotary, circular, or annular gripper-carriage, or circular series of grippers. I have here shown a rotary gripper-carriage of simple and desirable construction. It consists of two large rings, I, arranged concentrically with the center shaft, B, and mounted on friction-rollersd, journaled in brackets d, projecting from the side frames, A, as best shown in Fig. 1. When so mounted the rings are free to rotate with but little resistance from friction. The two ringsI are connected by gripper rods or shafts 0, each carrying grippenfingers e, and by bars or rods f, on which the said. gripper-fingers close and hold the sheets. best shown in Fig. 2, and extend from one ring to the other. Provision for the passage of the bars 6 f between the cylinders of each pair is afforded by cavities s in the periphcries of the cylinders C and D, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. As the bars a f are brought between the cylinders of a pair, they are received in the cavity 8, in which they are passed between the cylinders. The rings are arranged just outside of the ends of the cylinders O D and inside the side frames, A. Each of them has a toothed periphery, and upon both ends of each form-cylinder O are pinions or wheels 9, which engage with said rings, and so rotate the gripper-carriage. Instead of providing each form-cylinder with drivingwheels for engaging with the rings, I may provide such wheels on one cylinder only. The gripper-carriage might be rotated by other mechanism than that here shown, if desired.

As here represented there are four gripperrods, 6, corresponding to the four pairs of form and impression cylinders; but, if desired, more than four pairs of cylinders and sets of grippers might be employed; or three pairs of cylinders might suffice for many purposes. Indeed, in cases where but two impressions are required I may employ two pairs of cylinders in connection with a rotary grippercarriage. Upon the end of each gripper-rod e is a tumbler or arm, h, and upon the adjacent side frame, A, are projections ij, forming stationary cams, which act on these tumblers to turn the rods 0, and so open and close the gripperfingers 0. Each rod 6 may be acted upon by the usual spring, 0 (shown in Fig. 2,) to hold the gripper-fingers closed. Vhen the gripper-rods approach the feed-board G. as shown in Fig. 1, thegrippers are open; but as the sheet is fed to them the tumbler It strikes the projection i, and so turns the rods to close the gripper-fingers on the sheet. The sheet 'is then carried forward and presented successively to the cylinders of the several pairs, and as it approaches the delivery-board H the tumbler it strikes the projection j, and is moved so as to turn the gripper-rod e and The two bars 6 f are which is delivered onto the board H, the gripper-fingers remaining open to take the next sheet fed to them.

So far as described, the press might be used for printing where an impression from each form-cylinder is required; but I will now describe how the press may be adapted for taking impressions at each revolution of the cylinders,or from alternate revolutions only, thus adapting the press for single or double rolling or inking.

The bearings c of each impression-cylinder are movable slightly toward and from the center shaft, B, andwhen not pressed outward move automatically inward. The impressioncylinders of the two upper pairs will move inward by gravity, but those of the two lower pairs are moved inward by springs 7r, acting on their bearings c, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The bearings c of each impression-cylinder D are acted upon by plungers or push-rods J, arranged on the inner sides of the frames A, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the inner ends of these plungers or push-rods are pro vided with anti-friction rollers Z, which bear upon cams K, secured to the center shaft, B, adjacent to each side frame, A. Each cam K is composed of two plates, m m, of the form shown in Fig. 5. One plate is provided with a single bolt-hole, m, and the other with two holes, m m. One plate may be turned or adjusted circumferentially relatively to the other, and they are then connected by a bolt, n. \Vhen this bolt n is inserted through the holes m of, the

projections of the two plates will coincide, as

shown in Fig. 3, and they will then constitute a cam having two projections, and, the press will be adapted for double rolling or inking, and for taking impressions at alternate revolutions of the cylinders only. WVhen thus operated, the sheets in feeding will be presented to alternate grippers only. lVhen the bolt n is inserted through the holes 122/ m, the projections of one plate on will cover the gaps in the other, and the two plates will then form a continuous cam, holding the impression-cylinders outward continuously. The press will then be adapted for. single rolling or inking, and the sheets in feeding are presented to all the grippers, as they severally pass the feedboard.

It will be seen' that this press is very compact, occupying but little room, and that it is comparatively simple in construction. I secure perfect register of the several impressions, and can readily adapt it for either single or double rolling or inking. Itis also capable of doing very rapid work.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a number of separate pairs of form and impression cylindersarranged in a circular series, of a rotary series of grippers for presenting the sheets successively to the several pairs of cylinders in the series, substantially as described.

IIO

seams 2 2. The combination, with two or more pairs of form and impression cylinders arranged in a circular series, of a rotary annular gripper- 3. The combination, with two or more pairs of form and impression cylinders, of a center shaft, a gear-wheel thereon, gear-wheels on the several cylinders, engaging with the wheel on SELld center shaft, and'a rotary gripper-carrlage and attached grippers, for presenting sheets successively to the pairs of cylinders,

substantially as described.

4. The combination, with two or more pairs of form and impression cylinders, of a rotary gripper-carriage for presenting sheets successivelyto the pairs of cylinders, toothed rings comprised in said carriage, and gear-wheels upon the shafts of the cylinders engaging with said rings and operating the gripper-carriage, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the pairs of form and impression cylinders O D, arranged in a circular series, the center shaft, B, and its gear-wheel B, the wheels 0 D, gearing the cylinders of each pair together, and with the wheel B, the toothed rings 1, comprised in the gripper-carriage, and the wheels 9 on the shafts of the form-cylinders, engaging with and driving said rings, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with pairs of form and impression cylinders arranged in a circular series, of a rotary gripper-carriage for presenting sheets successively to the pairs of cylinders, and devices, substantially such as described, for relieving the impression-cylinders, to provide for double rolling or inking, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with pairs of form and impression cylinders arranged in a circular series, and a rotary gripper-carriage for presenti-ng sheets successively to the pairs of cylinders, of a center shaft from which the cylinders derive motion, plungers or rods acting on the bearings of the impression-cylinders, and cams on said center shaft for controlling said plungers or rods to relieve the impressioncylinders for double rolling or inking, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the center shaft, B, pairs of form and impression cylinders deriving motion therefrom, and a rotary gripper-carriage for prese'ntin g sheets successively to the pairs of cylinders, of the plungers J acting on the bearings of the impression-cylinders, and the cam K on said shaft B, composed of the plates or sections at m, one of which is circumferentially adjustable relatively to the other, substantially as described.

' CALVERT B; GOTTRELL.

\Vitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, ED. L. MORAN. 

